Most Exotic Spa Treatments

Gold Body Mask, Oman

The Claim: Many ancient cultures believed that gold, along with symbolizing power and wealth, imparted immortality (hence all that burying of bling in Egyptian tombs). These days, chrysotherapy—the treatment of maladies like rheumatoid arthritis, bad circulation, depression, and hypertension with gold—has become relatively well known, and beauty experts say powder-fine gold used in spa treatments can help absorb pollutants, regulate the skin’s ionic balance, and impart a fresh glow.

Where to Try It: In the Arabian Gold Ritual at the Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay in Oman, guests are exfoliated with a basil and mint scrub, then painted with a purifying gold-and-clay body mask. Next comes an invigorating massage of the scalp, face, and body—the latter with a gold-infused oil.